One Sense: the Roman restaurant for the deaf

We are all born equal, with the same obligations and the same opportunities. An old, happy story, a slogan often found in platitudes. But we know that, in reality, this isn't quite the case . At least not for everyone. Valeria Olivotti , 33, supported by her mother Donatella Montani, who has been deaf since the age of three, is proof of how many barriers and prejudices still divide members of society. And at the same time, her story demonstrates how in life it is possible not to waste one's qualities and energies, through the willpower typical of courageous people. Valeria managed to make her dream come true : a restaurant for the deaf.

ONE SENSE RESTAURANT FOR THE DEAF

One Sense , this is the name of the place, is located in the heart of Garbatella, a working-class neighborhood of Rome, and is one of the few places in the world where you can order in LIS, the Italian sign language , and also in international sign language (Sign International).

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RESTAURANT WITH DEAF STAFF

Valeria, known to everyone as "Valla," is a young Roman entrepreneur with a high school diploma and experience in bartending management, but who, due to her disability, has often been rejected. "I've had an uphill life," says Valla, "as is often the case with deaf people who live in a world where there's still a prejudice that we, with our invisible 'disability,' are unable to lead a normal life. We don't see it as a problem, but simply as a fact." Driven by her desire to fit in and, even more importantly, stand out , she decided to open a one-of-a-kind restaurant business, supported by her mother, Donatella Montani, a real estate entrepreneur: "It took me two years to find the right location," continues Valeria, "since it had to be large and in a working-class neighborhood of Rome, where it's easier to find residents open to integrating with people with disabilities."

Starting with the location, nothing was left to chance. The menu, curated by chef Fabio Campioli , is based on fairtrade and organic products sourced from the communities of Capodarco and San Patrignano . Each dish is assigned a number, making it easier for hearing and hard of hearing people, guests, and staff to communicate. The spacious, modern, and industrial-style space is made welcoming by the use of warm, bright colors and includes shelves displaying books on deafness and sign language dictionaries. Even recruiting and training staff was a complex process: "Many staff members," says Olivotti, "didn't feel ready to collaborate with the deaf staff." Today, however, almost all the employees master LIS, allowing everyone to work harmoniously , side by side.

RESTAURANT SIGN LANGUAGE

For Valeria, One Sense represents not only a successful personal challenge, but also an ambitious project for social inclusion . She hopes her uniqueness, like that of all people like her, isn't a shortcoming, but rather an extension capable of amplifying other senses. This is the foundation of her extraordinary restaurant concept, convinced that the consumption of food , such a simple and everyday act, is based on an experience of profound sharing, in which we all move together, in one direction.

The images are taken from the One Sense Facebook page.

The “One Sense” project is a candidate for the 2020 Non Sprecare Award. To nominate your projects, follow the instructions here.

DON'T WASTE AWARD 2020:

• Suspended Meal: A wonderful initiative in Rome donates meals to those who can't prepare them.
• H2Agro, an Italian research project to eliminate water waste in agriculture.
• Recover, reuse, regenerate: a former landfill in Motta di Livenza becomes a public park.
• Quid, vulnerable women who recycle fabrics. With a brand with a turnover of over €3 million.
• Pineto: A fox-proof cage protects Kentish plover nests. Video surveillance is underway 24/24.